Another reason? People might associate these triggers with pleasant experiences. That whispering might remind someone of mom lulling her to sleep. A haircut might spark fond memories of Saturdays spent with dad at the barbershop.

“These are situations where people are experiencing intense pleasure and there is a tremendous amount of intense pain in medicine,” he says, adding that understanding how people experience intense pleasure might help doctors treat some of this intense pain without drugs.

Using the videos to sleep or temper anxiety isn't a problem, Winter says, unless it becomes a crutch. If you'd like to try it for yourself, watch Ally, one of the most popular ASMR stars, who whispers and crinkles her way through videos.